By Joseph S. Margai in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Executive members and supporters of the Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) have called on the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) and the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to disregard Musa Tarawally, whom they claimed had hijacked the party from them. But the Chairman of Party says Mr. Tarawally is the standard-bearer s registered and member of the party.
The executive members and supporters of CDP called a press conference organized at Zion Entertainment Complex, east of Freetown, where they claimed that Alhaji Musa Tarawally is not registered with the party. Mr. Tarawally claims he is standard-bearer of the CDP.
Reading the press statement to the press, Deputy National Secretary General of CDP, Emmanuel Kalokoh, said CDP should not be used to promote infamous politicians, especially if they fail to go through constitutional channel.
He said the Chairman of CDP, Gibril Thullah and the Secretary General, did not seek the consent of the national executive before forming a coalition, alliance or merger with Musa Tarawally, adding that Musa Tarawally has never visited CDP’s headquarters on Black Hall Road in Kissy, east of Freetown.
“Their failure to consent us in the formation of a coalition with Musa Tarawally, which is acting against CDP’s constitution made the formed coalition null and void. We want to draw the attention of PPRC, NEC and other institutions of government that the deliberate attempt by our chairman, secretary general and Musa Tarawally to hijack CDP is an abuse of power,” he said.
He said CDP executives will take legal action against any member behind this “unconstitutional act to destroy the good image of our party”.
National Organizing Secretary, Augustine Julius Donnie, said Musa Tarawally is not the flagbearer of CDP and he should not mention the name of the party in any of his political activities.
But Gibril Thullah speaking in response to the allegations recently outside PPRC headquarters on Tower Hill in Freetown said as a result of the prevailing conditions especially with regards the electioneering process, they realized that some small political parties were financially handicapped and only coalition would enhance their ability to compete with big political parties.
“Five political parties including the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and of course the CDP, decided to come together to form a coalition so as to enable us to compete in the general elections,” he explained.
He revealed that he was receiving lots of calls from many political interested candidates who had wanted to lead the party as standard-bearers including political parties that were asking him to form coalition with them.
He claimed that the aggrieved faction, which held the press conference denouncing Musa Tarawally on Monday, told him that they have got a candidate who was interested to form a coalition with the CDP, but I disagreed because I was not the only one to decide who becomes a presidential candidate.
“After establishing the coalition, we announced it all over Sierra Leone that we needed interested Sierra Leoneans who wanted to come and head the coalition. We had people who submitted their application letters that they were interested. We decided that all other parties in the coalition should come under the umbrella of the CDP and the standard bearer should compete under the party,” he said.
He said they held a conference in Makeni where the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the CDP elected Musa Tarawally as the standard bearer, noting that all the regional members of CDP were in that conference.
“Those who are now crying foul had already aligned themselves with somebody from America who came and claimed that he was a brother to the founder and 2012 presidential candidate who had passed away-Joshua Carew. He urged us to join the National Grand Coalition but we disagreed,” he said.
Mr. Thullah said anyone that challenges constituted authorities or engages in anti-political activities, among others, will be disqualified, referring to action of the aggrieved executives as an anti-political activity.
